- present participle of disquiet.
disquieting
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disquieting
Explanation
When something really upsets or worries you, you can describe it as disquieting. The very best horror movies are supposed to be disquieting. Scary TV shows and books are disquieting, and even the local news or a documentary can be a bit disquieting, making you feel uncomfortable or rattled. In other words, they upset you with disturbing ideas, images, or subjects. You could also describe disquieting things as unsettling or distressing. The Latin roots are dis, "not," and quies, "peace."
Vocabulary lists containing disquieting
Night
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The Giver
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The Great Gatsby
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is a particular brand of confidence required to assure party leaders and voters that one has no more skeletons in one’s closet, as Platner did before several more disquieting allegations emerged.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2026
Golding is writing about the instability of the self, after all, and his prose enacts that instability: shifting perspectives and uncertain ground, relieved by moments of sudden, disquieting clarity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The concept came about in 2019, when anonymous users on message board 4chan were asked to "post disquieting images that just feel 'off'."
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
Experts say the FAA’s shifting approach telegraphs a disquieting truth about air safety as private companies increasingly push to use the skies as their laboratories: Regulators are learning as they go.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2026
Nothing developed, but something about that creepy old building gave him goose bumps, a disquieting chill.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.